Fujifilm X-E2 vs Nikon D7500

The Fujifilm X-E2 and the Nikon D7500 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively,
in October 2013 and April 2017. The X-E2 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the D7500 is a DSLR. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Fujifilm has a resolution of 16 megapixels, whereas the Nikon provides 20.7 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their sensors, their features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Fujifilm X-E2 vs Nikon D7500

The physical size and weight of the Fujifilm X-E2 and the Nikon D7500 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Nikon D7500 is considerably larger (46 percent) than the Fujifilm X-E2. Moreover, the D7500 is substantially heavier (106 percent) than the X-E2. It is noteworthy in this context that the D7500 is splash and dust-proof, while the X-E2 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. Both cameras have similarly sized sensors, but DSLRs have a larger flange-to-focal plane distance than mirrorless cameras,
which imposes contraints on the optical engineering process and generally leads to bigger and heavier lenses.
You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Fujinon X Lens Catalog (X-E2) and the Nikon Lens Catalog (D7500). Mirrorless cameras, such as the Fujifilm X-E2, have moreover the advantage that they have a relatively short flange to focal plane distance and can thus use many lenses from other systems via adapters.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left
arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and
make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The X-E2 was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 23 percent) than the D7500, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison: Fujifilm X-E2 vs Nikon D7500

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors
differ slightly in size. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 20.7MP, the D7500 offers a higher
resolution than the X-E2 (16MP), but the D7500 has smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of
4.22μm versus 4.80μm for the X-E2). Yet, the D7500 is a much more recent model (by 3 years and 5 months) than the X-E2, and its sensor
will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the X-E2 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The X-E2 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during video recording.

The Fujifilm X-E2 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D7500 are ISO 100 to ISO 51200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-1640000..

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Fujifilm X-E2»

APS-C

16.0

4896

3264

1080/60p

-

-

-

-

Fujifilm X-E2

Nikon D7500«

APS-C

20.7

5568

3712

4K/30p

24.3

14.0

1483

86

Nikon D7500

Canon 80D«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

23.6

13.2

1135

79

Canon 80D

Fujifilm X-E3«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

4K/30p

-

-

-

-

Fujifilm X-E3

Fujifilm X-T20«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

4K/30p

-

-

-

-

Fujifilm X-T20

Fujifilm X-A10«»

APS-C

16.0

4896

3264

1080/30p

-

-

-

-

Fujifilm X-A10

Fujifilm X-E2S«»

APS-C

16.0

4896

3264

1080/60p

-

-

-

-

Fujifilm X-E2S

Fujifilm X-A2«»

APS-C

16.0

4896

3264

1080/30p

-

-

-

-

Fujifilm X-A2

Fujifilm X-T10«»

APS-C

16.0

4896

3264

1080/60p

-

-

-

-

Fujifilm X-T10

Fujifilm X-A1«»

APS-C

16.0

4896

3264

1080/30p

-

-

-

-

Fujifilm X-A1

Fujifilm X-M1«»

APS-C

16.0

4896

3264

1080/30p

-

-

-

-

Fujifilm X-M1

Fujifilm X-E1«»

APS-C

16.0

4896

3264

1080/24p

-

-

-

-

Fujifilm X-E1

Nikon D500«»

APS-C

20.7

5568

3712

4K/30p

24.0

14.0

1324

83

Nikon D500

Nikon D7200«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.5

14.6

1333

87

Nikon D7200

Nikon D7100«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.2

13.7

1256

83

Nikon D7100

Nikon D7000«»

APS-C

16.1

4928

3264

10800/24p

23.5

13.9

1167

80

Nikon D7000

Sony NEX-6«»

APS-C

16.0

4912

3264

1080/60i

23.7

13.1

1018

78

Sony NEX-6

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the D7500 provides a better video resolution than the X-E2. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Fujifilm is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison: Fujifilm X-E2 vs Nikon D7500

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the X-E2 has an electronic viewfinder (2360k dots), while the D7500 has an optical one.
Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information
into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Fujifilm X-E2 and Nikon D7500 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Shutter speed (1/sec)

Shutter flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Fujifilm X-E2»

2360

n

3.0

1040

fixed

n

4000

7.0

Y

n

Fujifilm X-E2

Nikon D7500«

optical

Y

3.2

922

tilting

Y

8000

8.0

Y

n

Nikon D7500

Canon 80D«»

optical

Y

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

8000

7.0

Y

n

Canon 80D

Fujifilm X-E3«»

2360

n

3.0

1040

fixed

Y

4000

8.0

n

n

Fujifilm X-E3

Fujifilm X-T20«»

2360

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

4000

8.0

Y

n

Fujifilm X-T20

Fujifilm X-A10«»

-

n

3.0

1040

tilting

n

4000

6.0

Y

n

Fujifilm X-A10

Fujifilm X-E2S«»

2360

n

3.0

1040

fixed

n

4000

7.0

Y

n

Fujifilm X-E2S

Fujifilm X-A2«»

-

n

3.0

920

tilting

n

4000

5.6

Y

n

Fujifilm X-A2

Fujifilm X-T10«»

2360

n

3.0

920

tilting

n

4000

8.0

Y

n

Fujifilm X-T10

Fujifilm X-A1«»

-

n

3.0

920

tilting

n

4000

5.6

Y

n

Fujifilm X-A1

Fujifilm X-M1«»

-

n

3.0

920

tilting

n

4000

5.6

Y

n

Fujifilm X-M1

Fujifilm X-E1«»

2360

n

2.8

460

fixed

n

4000

6.0

Y

n

Fujifilm X-E1

Nikon D500«»

optical

Y

3.2

2359

tilting

Y

8000

10.0

n

n

Nikon D500

Nikon D7200«»

optical

Y

3.2

1229

fixed

n

8000

6.0

Y

n

Nikon D7200

Nikon D7100«»

optical

Y

3.2

1229

fixed

n

8000

6.0

Y

n

Nikon D7100

Nikon D7000«»

optical

Y

3.0

921

fixed

n

8000

6.0

Y

n

Nikon D7000

Sony NEX-6«»

2359

n

3.0

921

tilting

n

4000

10.0

Y

n

Sony NEX-6

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The D7500
has a touchscreen, while the X-E2 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example,
for setting the focus point.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the X-E2 and the D7500 write their files to SDXC cards.

Connectivity comparison: Fujifilm X-E2 vs Nikon D7500

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Fujifilm X-E2 and Nikon D7500 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Type

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Fujifilm X-E2»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Fujifilm X-E2

Nikon D7500«

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

Y

-

Y

Nikon D7500

Canon 80D«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon 80D

Fujifilm X-E3«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

Y

Fujifilm X-E3

Fujifilm X-T20«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Fujifilm X-T20

Fujifilm X-A10«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Fujifilm X-A10

Fujifilm X-E2S«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Fujifilm X-E2S

Fujifilm X-A2«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Fujifilm X-A2

Fujifilm X-T10«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Fujifilm X-T10

Fujifilm X-A1«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Fujifilm X-A1

Fujifilm X-M1«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Fujifilm X-M1

Fujifilm X-E1«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Fujifilm X-E1

Nikon D500«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

Y

Y

Y

Nikon D500

Nikon D7200«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Nikon D7200

Nikon D7100«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D7100

Nikon D7000«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D7000

Sony NEX-6«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Sony NEX-6

It is notable that the D7500 has a headphone jack, which makes it possible to attach external headphones
and monitor the quality of sound during the recording process. The X-E2 lacks such a headphone port.

The D7500 is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Nikon.
In contrast, the X-E2 has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on eBay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the X-E2 was succeeded by the Fujifilm X-E2S.

Review summary: Fujifilm X-E2 vs Nikon D7500

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Fujifilm X-E2 or the Nikon D7500 – has the upper hand? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Arguments in favor of the Fujifilm X-E2:

Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.

More modern: Reflects 3 years and 5 months of technical progress since the X-E2 launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D7500 is the clear winner of the contest (15 : 9 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera.

X-E2 09:15 D7500

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the X-E2 or the D7500. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews: Fujifilm X-E2 vs Nikon D7500

This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The detailed reviews can be accessed by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other camera comparisons

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